Familiar ... part 4

3X says "Ok this will be the final part... long story short, we then talked more about our family. I don't have a photo of my kids with me, so I described how each of them look like. Anyway, she showed me her girl's photo, and she looks uncannily like Nadhirah... really freaky man! And guess what's her husband's name... Shahrizal. Somehow I think we are living parallel lives...

Anyway end of lunch, I sent her back to her working place at Tampines DBS building. Along the way, during the ride we exchange phone numbers/address and I dropped her at the taxi stand. We said our goodbyes and that's about it.

Ok before you readers out there, wants to think about "cinta lama berputik kembali"... "having an affair"... "scandal", and all those "hollywood" or "yusoff haslam/sembilu" movies kind of stuff, you all can forget about it... the truth is both of us are happily married to our spouses and we've moved on with our lives, and we have our own family to think about.

So here's a video I made exactly 10 years ago in 1997
...the woman I loved back then, now and forever...


*time baru dating kat bukit gombak dan chinese garden (1997)

Familiar ... part 3

3X says "You know some questions guys doesn't like to answer... especially if it (1) involves the past, (2) requires memory power and (3) don't know how to answer properly. So anyway the answer to her question... I can't really reveal, because it's all of the above...

Anyway I try to sum up the situation 10 years ago. At that time I was serious "friends" with 3 ladies at the same time. (a) ss, (b) yati and (c) ylo/wifey of course, and that's in the order of who I met first and not in the order of preferences at that time.

Ok in the beginning (a) and (b) don't know each other existed, but soon they found out, thats when the problem starts. (a) got very emotional, while (b) was calm but got awkward towards me, and all this while (c) had to listen to all my relationship problems. So when I got serious with (c) with the prospect of marriage, I told both (a) and (b). But (a) thought I was going to marry (b), and (b) thought I was going to marry (a), because they don't know about (c).

After that, I had to cut off totally from (a) and (b) without any explanations.... because I don't know how to explain to either of them.

Anyway back to the conversation, she did say she was shocked to see my bride was (c) and not (a) at my wedding. And she mentioned her father actually forbid her and her mother to come to my wedding, because he was so disappointed with me. I was very close with her family, they live at blk 669, which is just 5 mins cycle from blk 124. I would cycle to her house late at night and her mother cooks for me and we watched tv together. Her father had 3 other wives, and so can only spent a few days with them in a month. He likes me very much, and he encourages me to spent time at their house... he told me, at least there's a man in the house when he's away (he's actually a retired chief CID).

... to be continued.

Familiar ... part 2

3X says "Anyway when she told me she named her daughter Juliana, the pepsi I was drinking almost blew out of my nose. And she said "So your second one Susanna ke?". I replied "No, my wife tak kasi pakai name tu, reminds her of the indon horror movie actress... anyway my second one is a boy, Iman".

Juliana, Susanna and Aisyah - that's what we had planned... and yes we wanted all to be girls.

So we got to talking about old times naturally, our old colleagues at Income, like amin, kadir, rudy... our glamour soccer friends that we work with. Then we updated where we had worked and what progress in life we had achieved during the ten years we lost contact, which we realised that it is exactly ten years to this very month.

She married her colleague from her current workplace, and has been married for about 6 years. It took a while for them to have children, and so explains why she only has 1 child.

While we were talking, either one of us have trouble making eye contact. When she talked, I would look from side to side, and when I talked, she would look at her food. Gradually the conversation came back to a decade ago... on the night that I called her, and told I'm getting engaged... she asks "What actually happened?... What happened to us?"

to be continued...

Familiar ... part 1

3X says "A few days ago we had a picnic at Pasir Ris amongst family members. Anyway one conversation lead to another, a topic of ex-girlfriends crop out. Surprisingly Kak Eton even remembered one of the name "Yati datangkan time kahwin".

Even more surprising, is what happened during lunch today. I was at Parkway Parade for lunch, and usually I was with my collegues, but today I was alone. I was walking infront of Kartini Restaurant, and I heard someone called out from behind. "Pakcik! Pakcik!" sounds familiar... and when I turn around I saw a somewhat familiar face. "Eh, Makcik!". She didn't change much accept for longer hair. And for a moment about a few seconds, both of us didn't say anything, accept for some awkward facial expressions. I guess both of us went totally blank, really like awkward kind of way. Anyway "Pakcik and Makcik" thats what our former workplace use to call both of us.

"Why?" I ask her, not sure what else to ask. "Why what?" she replied. "Kenapa simpan rambut panjang, I thought you tak suka?" I said. "You suka apa..." she laughed. A short pause, and again the feeling of awkwardness. "Nak makan?" she asks, and my mind haven't finish thinking, but my reply was "Ok".

So as we walk towards Burger King, it felt a little... familiar... Anyway I said "So did you notice this balding and buncit?", poking my head and perut... she laughed "Yah! What happened?". I explained, "I gave birth to 3 children, that's why..haha". Anyway I explained to her the irony that my sister-in-law mentions her name only 2 days ago, and also meeting her also explains why a big pimple grew on my nose.

Anyway, long story short, she have 1 daughter and married for few years already, but here's the freaky part, she named her daughter - "Juliana" too, because that's what we planned to name our child WHEN(IF) we get married.

.... to be continued

Malaysiaku .. part 2

3X says "My last entry expresses my appreciation for everything that is beauty, in Malaysia. But nothing is beauty is not ugly at the same time.

First of all, just to let you know, we have been robbed before in Malaysia. It happened in Sogo, KL. We were getting back to the car at the underground carpark. A few metres before reaching the car, I saw this guy behind my proton saga (my previous car). The car boot was opened, and he was rummaging through our stuffs. I didn't shout at him, and just looked at him when I was nearer. Immediately when he saw me, he closed the boot, and put his hands in his pockets. Seeing this, I didn't do anything, as I was afraid he would take out a knife (or any weapon) and use it against us. My children was with me, so I fear for their life, and just let him run away. After he ran a few metres away from us, I then gave chase, all over the shopping mall, with people pointing to his direction, until I reached a dark stairway. I stopped chasing, thinking its not worth it.

Getting back to the car, we realised that he have been going through our stuff from the dashboard all the way to the boot. Our things were scattered all over the car floor and he must have a lot of time doing this. Luckily, I always keep my valuables - digital and video cameras, credit-cards, passport, laptops, underneath the seats, so nothing was stolen. He must be damn fedup going through our dirty clothes, and getting some coins only. Anyway on the way out at the payment counter, I reported the incidence to the people there, and their response was hilarious, "Abang tak payahlah report kat polis, abang report kat RTM bagus, kat sini tiap-tiap hari jadi macam gini."... and he wasn't joking.. hehe.

Anyway, that incident did not deter me at all from travelling there or change my perspective of Malaysia. I didn't blame their people, their police, their government or the whole country. Crimes are everywhere, it could happen to anyone and anywhere.

Back in SG, while parking my car at Cassia Avenue, a car park near my workplace during lunch time, I saw this chinese guy smashing a mercedes car window and stealing a laptop inside the car, and getting away on his motorcycle. The car alarm went off, and the security guard came. I told him what happened, and he said "Itu orang taruk barang dalam kereta, mestilah itu perompak nampak, mahu ambik". I smiled at him, seeing his wisdom through the incident, which is true of course.

Malaysiaku

3X says "There are many things in my life, that I am very thankful for. I am thankful for my wife, my children, my house and everything else in my life, good and bad. But what I am most thankful for, from god is my driving licence. With it I can drive my family all over Malaysia. I have drove up all the Highlands to the Penang bridge to the whole of Langkawi to along the shores in the east - Trengganu and Kuantan to the long roads cutting across the country to the jams in KL.... everywhere throughout this marvellous country.

The most memorable times are watching the small villages as I drove small roads that seems to go on forever... simple houses, with kids playing, while goats and cows passes by. Many times I wonder what sort of lives they live. They make look poor, but I believe they live richer lives than ours... their ceiling is their roof, and not someone's floor... beneath their house is earth, while ours is someone's house... who is poor actually?

I enjoy driving up the mountains- Genting, Cameron, Fraser Hill, while the cool refreshing air invites me to go higher and higher, and then rewards me of gorgeous views as far as the eye can see, which makes me so humble. I enjoy looking at the sea at Trengganu, Kuantan, Langkawi, Penang that stretches so far, with beautiful white sandy beaches that sea turtles come to lay eggs, to the smooth black muddy sands at Tanjung Sedili. I enjoy looking up at the Twin Towers, the tallest building in the world, and I enjoy looking down at the corals while snorkelling in clear waters at Pulau Kapas. I enjoy the historical sites in Melaka, Perak, Ipoh, and I enjoy the simple life in Ayer Hitam, and I enjoy the bustling city life of Kuala Lumpur. I enjoy walking through caves where bats sleeps. and I enjoy the boat rides along the long river where crocodiles lives.

As I type this, I'm feeling tearful, not sad but feeling of being so thankfull to god, as I remember the sweet memories and the given opportunity to be there to experience all the wondrous and magical places in Malaysia.

Now I ask you this....


Close your eyes and imagine....


if there's no Malaysia....

?

Please don't see through the eyes of the media... they just want your 70 cents...

MSN Messenger contacts

ylokids@hotmail.com - (Juliana, Iman and Nadhirah)
they have their own computer in their room and usually Juliana gets online in the morning while Iman uses the pc and surfs the net in the afternoon

ylomama@hotmail.com - (Yati)
this madam uses the pc in the bedroom, so if you see her online that means she's lying on the bed surfing for porn... hehehe.

rizal71@hotmail.com - (3X)
uses the Macbook laptop, can be seen online till late at night

Add our contacts to your MSN messenger and see who is online, and especially talk to the kids, they love the company.

Pindah rumah...

3X says "As some of you may already know, the college I working at is moving to another building, which is being built as I type this. I was appointed as part of the migration committee, and it looks like a very huge task ahead. Meetings twice a week, new technologies to put in place, and the most important part of the planning is to put what we have now to the new place.
Today we had a tour of the unfinished building, and it was the first experience I had of walking in a building that is still being constructed. There were dust everywhere, and it was quite overwhelming to see workers still cementing the floor, walls being plastered, cables being placed and strewn everywhere... We had a tour from the basement 2 car park to the top floor, which we had to climb the stairs as the lifts are not in placed yet. In short I came out breathless from the construction site, but left in awe at the site, rarely do we get to see a building being built up-close. And also a sense of 'pride' to be one of the staff to walk inside the building.
So from now till June,it seems I have to endure the numerous amount of emails of maps and plans and strategy. I had one of the unenviable task of migrating the 16 computer studios to the new building. So from now till July, I guess no holiday plans, as its a blockout period, meaning no leaves will be approved till the project is finished.
A part of me feels the excitement and a part of me leaves me overwhelmed, but a small part of me just tells me to "just ride the wave, and hopefully there's pot of gold at the end of the rainbow."